Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2578-3796

Advisor

Hagerman, Margaret

Committee Member

Allison, Rachel

Committee Member

King, Sanna

Committee Member

Thompson, Diego

Committee Member

Lynton Cox, Jordan

Date of Degree

5-15-2026

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Major

Sociology

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Sociology

Abstract

In this study, I explore the influence of colorism on Black Surinamese Dutch group identity formation. Through a transnational intersectional lens rooted in Black feminism, I examine the role of colorism in the formation of group identity of Black Surinamese Dutch people. I also examine gendered aspects of colorism. Data for this dissertation come from virtual and face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews I conducted with 25 Black Surinamese diaspora members in the Netherlands, one Black Surinamese diaspora member in Spain, and one Black Surinamese diaspora member in the United States. Interviews reveal how Black Surinamese Dutch people negotiate colorism coming from “inside” their family, their community and how they face the consequences of colorism in everyday public life in the Netherlands. Using the particular case of Black Surinamese diaspora members in the transnational context of Suriname and the Netherlands, I extend existing research on colorism and build new theory on the topic. I illustrate that my participants’ colorism experiences transcend borders as part of transnational migration and intergenerational transfers of collective practices informed by intersecting systems of oppression. As such, in this dissertation, I argue that to understand the complex group identity formation of Black Surinamese Dutch people, a transnational and intersectional reading of colorism is required. I also show the importance of using intersectional approaches in understanding how colonialism, racism, colorism, and other systems of oppression impact people’s everyday lives in a transnational context. Overall, my participants demonstrate that from within, there are possibilities to actively reclaim and transform the dominant narrative. They can be both Surinamese and Dutch, and they belong in the Netherlands too, and they can continue to transform their family lives and communities into sites of collective healing.

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